Rising Sports Stars with Kelly Exelby of Eves Realty

Like any parent in a rural town, Libby Bradley's parents were more disappointed than most when Parliament raised the minimum driving age by a year to 16.

The Katikati College pocket rocket has been setting the beach and the pool alight and, with no learner license imminent for the talented Year 9 surf athlete, Libby's parents Tony and Wendy have a few more years yet of their almost-daily commute to the Greerton pool or Mount Maunganui's main beach.

Libby, equally at home on the sand or in the water, switched from nearby Waihi Surf Club, where she had been a member since she was five, to the Mount Lifeguard Service two years ago, coming under the wing of former New Zealand surf lifesaving coach John ``Spindles'' Bryant.

It's a partnership that's paying off in spades, with Libby keeping the commentators at the annual national under-14 Ocean Athletes competition busy every year since she first scorched across the sand at nine years old.

A bronze in the beach flags in her rookie year was followed 12 months later by gold in the dizzying dash-and-crash competition and silver in the sprints, two golds in the Grand Cameron teams relay and beach sprint relay, and bronze as the patient in the tube rescue.

This summer will be Libby's last in Ocean Athletes and she's intent on broadening her range of skills in the surf to push herself into contention for the New Zealand under-20 team heading to the world champs in 2016.

"I'll be 17 then, and two years later I'll still be eligible, but I want to be known as more of an all-rounder by then to give me more chance of being selected.''

Already quick across the soft stuff, she hones her swim stroke with Greerton high-performance coach Tai Daniela. That relationship, forged over regular trips between Katikati and Tauranga, is also paying off.

At the recent national lifesaving pool champs Libby scooped an incredible eight medals, hot on the heels of a new Bay of Plenty record with her 4 x 50m freestyle relay team at the national short course pool champs.

Gold came in the under-14 50m brick carry, medley relay and under-16 girls' line throw, with silver in the 100m swim with obstacles, 50m swim with fins, 50m medley rescue and brick carry and bronze in the obstacle relay rounding out a dizzying haul.

Mastering a surf ski and board is high on the summer agenda, and there's also relief in sight for Libby's long-suffering parents, who could almost drive the SH2 route blindfolded, with the family pitching a tent at the Mount camping ground for four weeks over Christmas.